The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 04, 2025
Filed:
Dec. 12, 2019
Koninklijke Philips N.v., Eindhoven, NL;
Robertus Leonardus Maria In 'T Groen, Tilburg, NL;
Fei Zuo, Eindhoven, NL;
Mark Thomas Johnson, Arendonk, BE;
Deep Bera, Bangalore, IN;
KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V., Eindhoven, NL;
Abstract
An ultrasound transducer unit (), e.g. probe, is configured with a friction guiding function. The transducer unit () comprises a vibration generating means () at a tissue contact area, and has means for sensing a sliding direction of the transducer unit across a tissue surface () at which the contact area is incident. The tissue surface may be an external skin surface or an internal tissue surface, e.g. in case of a catheter. A control means is operable to control the vibration of the vibration generator to adjust a level of friction at the tissue contact area. This is used by the control means to implement a friction guiding function for guiding a user in sliding the unit across the incident surface, e.g. toward a target location (), based on controlling the friction level responsive to sensed sliding direction, for instance providing lower friction when sliding is in a target direction, while leaving other directions with relative higher frictional resistance.